Safety beyioe for bail wats



I UNITED STATES PATENT. OFFICE.

JOHN GOGERTY, OF DECATUR, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOE OF ONE-HALF TO GEORGE B. PEAKE, OF SAME PLACE.

SAFETY- DEVICE FOR RAILWA YS.

SPECIFICATION forming'part of Letters Patent No. 252,368, dated January 1'7, 182:2,

Application filed April 29, 1ss1. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JOHNGQGERTY, nresident of the city of Decatur and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Safety Device for Railways, of which the following is a specification, and which has never been patented to me nor to others with my knowledge and consent in any foreign country.

The invention will be understood as set forth in the following specification and. claim.

The accompanying drawings form a part of this specification and illustrate the invention.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the track with my guard applied. Fig. 2 is an elevation of the guaid. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the guard applied between a main-track rail and a guardrail. Fig. 4 is a plan view, showing the guard applied in the point of a frog.

Ais the guard, 1nade of sheet or thin spring metal. It is applied between two rails or at the point of a frog, where persons are most likelyto catch their feet under the rails. The

ends of the guard are bent down, as shown,

neat and effective.

to prevent objects from being caught under it. Underneath the guard are placed springs a, which have a yielding connection with the guard in such wise as to hold the guard in The guard A is supported solely by the springs a. They keep it up to the proper level, except when the train or other extremely heavy body passes over, when they yield and allow the guard to be pressed down, but immediately restore it when the weight is removed.

It is apparent that the guard may be introduced without removing the rails.

I am aware of the patents to W. J. Stillman, October 19, 1875, J. 0. Center, March 2, 1880, and E. J. Hoffman, June 1, 1880, and Ido not claim anything shown or described in them; but.

What I do claim is- The improved guard or safety device herein described, adapted for use between the guard and track rails of a railroad, or at the point of a frog, and capable of application before or afterthe laying of the rails, the snne consisting of a plate, A, of spring or sheet metal, formed to fit in the desired positions, and

springs 61., having their upper ends suitably attached to the plate in such wise as to hold the plate in place and not prevent so much of the sliding of one part upon another as to allow the plate freely to yield, said springs being sloped back from this point of attachment and fastened directly to the ties at their lower ends, forming the sole support of the guard, the

whole lying above and finding a rest upon the ties or road-bed, substantially as set forth.

JOHN GOGERTY. Witnesses: I

I. D. WALKER, L. P. GRAHAM. 

